The present invention relates to a latch device, and particularly to an electrical connector assembly having a latch device for positively locking together and electro-statically grounding two component to mating electrical connectors.
Generally, to insure a reliable connection between a pair of mating electrical connectors, a latch device is used for attaching the mating connectors together. Commonly, the latch device is formed on an insulative housing of each connector for easy manufacturing and operation. Related inventions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,63,204, 4,648,665, 5,002,504, 5,015,199 and 5,083,933. Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a first electrical connector 1 comprises a pair of first latch arms 11 and a second electrical connector 2 comprises a pair of second latch arms 21. After mating, the first and second latch arms 11, 21 engage with each other to prevent the mating connectors 1, 2 from separating from each other.
However, during the mating process, the first and second latch arms 11, 21 do not automatically lock with each other. Furthermore, both the first and second latch arms 11, 21 are formed as part of the insulative bodies of the connectors 1, 2, respectively. Therefore the first and second latch arms 1, 2 can not provide a grounding function, and an additional grounding connection is required between the connectors. Finally, the latch arms 11, 21, which are made of insulative material (usually plastic), are not strong enough to retain a positive lock under a rough handling.
Thus, there is a need for a latch device which provides a grounding and a positive locking function between a pair of mating electrical connectors.